Challenge yourself to tat 25 motifs within the next 12 months and show us your progress. A motif can be a medallion, snowflake, heart, bookmark, butterfly, earrings or any small piece of tatting. Tell us where the pattern is from or if it's original. Post pictures on your blog, web page or photo page. Add a comment below the current post giving the location of your pictures and you will be added to the list of links.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Leaves and Hearts, Trees, and Witches

Martha has completed her 25 motives. Actually I think she was finished a long time ago but since she didn't count any of the unsuccessful trials she did while designing, and she couldn't post the pictures of the hearts she did for her book until it was published, she wasn't able to blog about her progress. I still think we'll all agree that she has done an outstanding job.

Bhavani has been making good use of online resources. She looked at the needle weaving from the online class and then took an old motif from the Antique Pattern Library and applied the technique to it. Look at the wonderful effect, and it completely changes the look of the lace.

Wendy is continuing to work on her Halloween yo-yo quilt. The kids are working on quilling and origami ornaments for a decorated Christmas tree contest. And Wendy is still on a quest to learn as much as she can about Oya lace.

Connie has been doing some gardening, and she finished a crocheted doily and some baby blankets, but no pictures yet.

Diane has tatted several little flowers #1, #9, #10, #11, and #15 from Mary Maynard's Tatting Rings of Flowers and displayed them on the woven Double Outline Diamond from the Square Deal Weave-Along. Both the squares and flowers are pretty.

Bob has done a lovely Bonsai Cherry Tree and he's thinking he might do it again in variegated blue for a Willow Pattern effect. Bob has been tagged to post 7 weird or random facts.

Kelly's aunt is home after cancer surgery and now they have to wait for the test results.

Carol is back now that she has a new computer just in time for her to post her newest 3D creation named Calila. A purple and black and green witch, complete with warts.

Ruth has been having adventures in electronics as she learns about pod casting. Now that she has acquired all the right equipment she just needs a script and she'll be off and running.

Arlene tatted this lovely hanky using Lindsay Rogers' pattern from "Tatting for Special Occasions: Edgings" in DMC 70-80 white and pale blue. Isn't it gorgeous?

Mark was inspired by Bedfordshire Lace and used half ring braid, lock stitch chain, and cluny techniques in tatting to make this heart. He used Oliver Twist thread in size 30 but he comments that it normally comes in size 50. I don't know how Mark comes up with so many amazingly different ideas in tatting.

Some folks were having trouble with links and I have added some info to my blog.

Marilee has posted a proposed schedule for dying threads, so you can plan ahead.

Laura has been making more of Sherry's Autumn Leaf, but she found that when she used the larger size 10 thread the hole in the middle left the leaf without structure. So with Sherry's permission she has added some rings to the centre. It took a couple of tries to get it they way she wanted it. It took many more tries to get some pictures of Isaac. Unlike tatting, he wouldn't sit still for the camera.

Sherry has been playing with her Autumn Leaves design and created a wonderful fall necklace with it. Then she did a beautiful card for Mary Konior and followed up by tatting a few more colourful leaves. My dentist used to have a mobile of autumn leaves sealed in plastic hung above the chair. I think a mobile of these leaves would have been far more interesting to look at whilst having dental work done.

Kathy has been on another trip, this time to visit her family, and she returned with lots of tatting to show. The first motif uses a very colourful Manuela size 20 with matching beads in a Workbasket pattern from 1971. The next motif is made with DMC Perle cotton size 8 and the pattern was sent to Kathy along with the bead used in the middle. The edging design is from the May 1948 Workbasket and it's tatted with a multicoloured Altin Basak size 50 thread. The variegated yellow thread is Perfect Quilter and the pattern from the November 1960 Workbasket. She has also posted some pictures of family fun as the clan made beautiful music together.

Wally is moving her blog over to Multiply so little by little she will bring the content into the new blog the link to her 25 Motif Challenge pages is also changing. The new link is on the side bar at the right.